


Saving The Turtles

by SnapbackThriller



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, IT 2019, IT Chapter Two Spoilers, Kindly Ignoring The Canon Because I Dont Want To Be Depressed, M/M, Maturin Would Never Let This Pairing Go Down Like This, maturin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 05:30:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20615768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnapbackThriller/pseuds/SnapbackThriller
Summary: With the help of giant eldritch space turtles, anything is possible... even returning people from the dead.





	1. Eddie's POV

Eddie watched as Richie sprinted off, back turned towards him as he bolted over to where the other Loser’s were fighting. While Eddie watched him, he had a moment of anger at himself for sending him off. He knew this was it. He was about to die and he’d just told Richie to leave him, which to be honest, was on a list of last things he would ever want on his deathbed. And Eddie absolutely did have a fucking list.

Out of every way Eddie had ever imagined feeling before his death, from mild panic, to a blissful acceptance, the last emotion he ever expected to feel in the process was the crippling loneliness. The feeling sucked him in as soon as Richie was out of sight, and he felt his eyes begin to well up with tears as the black forming around his vision started sucking him in.

Along with his loneliness he also felt the anger again, specifically at himself. For telling Richie to leave him, for being so weak on the brink of his death. Mainly though, he was angry that he had his chance to tell Richie everything. To tell him that he’d been practically in love with him when they were kids. To tell him that as soon as they’d returned to Derry all those feelings of longing had returned full force. That he was ashamed he could have ever forgotten Richie. That he never planned to forget Richie again.

Instead, the only thing he confessed, was to fucking Richie’s mother. He’d had a moment to prepare himself to tell Richie everything, and rather than tell him the truth, he told him a joke. A stupid fucking joke. And not even a fucking good one, a goddamn “fucked your mom, haha” joke. It was almost worse than one Richie’s trash fucking comedy routines. He was fucking ashamed

To be fair, it was a running gag between them though. So at least it was a moment of poetic irony. And hey, considering that Richie undoubtably wouldn’t have felt the same way, it's probably the last words Richie would have wanted to hear from him anyway. Something light. Something Richie could actually live with rather than learning that his best friend from twenty seven years ago had a long running, creepy, gay crush on him for years, and that the crush somehow didn’t dissapate in all that time. Yeah... as pissed as Eddie was, he somehow figured he’d made the right call.

He could no longer see, but decided to reside in one last feeling of comfort. He imagined Richie’s face. Imagined kissing him before drawing his final breath. Maybe even telling him he’d loved him right before he jokingly insulted him, or some other stupid corny shit like that. Eddie didn’t know. He just allowed himself the final comfort of the fiction he’d formed in his head.

Maybe Richie would have hated him, or hell maybe not. All Eddie knew though was that he’d never really know. So he might as well just enjoy the fantasy.

He just prayed Richie knew how much he loved him. To any God that would listen, he prayed Richie would understand.

And then Eddie opened his eyes.

And he screamed.

He was standing in what appeared to be nothing. A large black voidless world. His first half-joking thought was ‘at least its clean’ but he was nearly ninety nine percent certain that he was definitely in hell.

“Eddie” a voice whispered to him, and Eddie felt his breathing get heavier.

“Uh, I don’t associate with demons, but thanks anyway Satan” he stated, slamming his eyes shut and refusing to open them. Whatever being was talking to him must have really enjoyed his joke at least, because he heard a distorted chuckle within the void. Maybe that’d earn him brownie points when he gets to the torture wheel.

“You are here before your time it seems” the being whispered, and Eddie opened one eye while awkwardly holding his breath. Nothing in his life could have ever prepared him for what he saw.

A giant turtle was staring back at him, gazing into what he could only assume was his soul. It looked like it had an entire world on its back, and it was literally so enormous he could barely even comprehend it. Suddenly the void was a lot less formless.

“You should go back, it’s the least I can do before I rest, besides...” its eyes moved to where Richie… Richie? He was now standing in the distance of the void, watching them wordlessly “I worry that if I don’t return you, this one will never let me forget it”.

Richie opened his mouth to shout something, or maybe he did shout something, but Eddie couldn’t hear what he said. Eddie just watched him wordlessly as the Turtle continued to speak.

“I wish you well in your life Eddie Kaspbrak, and this time, do try to be a little more careful” the Turtle asked calmly, and then suddenly the world flashed bright until he once again couldn’t see a thing. He remembered screaming “holy fuck” a couple of times, until finally, he seemed to land on his knees, crouched above Richie, just as he was…. before….

“Fuck” he heard Richie mutter under his breath before he was shoved forward in a near tackle. It was Richie pushing him backwards, and the two of them tumbled down the rocks together as Eddie felt the wind of the clown’s sharp leg move past his side. The same leg that stabbed him before. What the fuck?

He landed on his back, and Richie fell directly above him, landing harshly on Eddie’s chest. Eddie let out a small groan at the pressure, but could barely bring himself to care about the minor chest pain after he’d been literally fucking stabbed earlier. He felt tears welling up as he looked at Richie staring at him, and intent gaze hiding behind his broken glasses.

“Rich…” Eddie whispered, not even sure of what to say. Did Richie remember what happened? Did he have some crazy fever dream? Was the turtle even real?

“Eds” Richie said softly, more softly than he’s ever heard Richie say anything in his damn life. He felt a hand resting on his uninjured cheek and it only took a moment to register that it was Richie. Richie “Trashmouth” Tozier was really here, and he was cradling his fucking head like Eddie was his world.

‘Well fuck’ Eddie thought to himself ‘I guess I did make it to Heaven’.

As soon as the touch appeared though, Richie retracted it, moving off of Eddie and running towards the other Loser’s while muttering a quick ‘lets go’. Eddie moved off of his back and quickly pushed himself up, following after Richie. The others were all running into a smaller portion of the cave, attempting to hide themselves away from the clown.

Richie saw the clown trying to push its way into the hole in the cave, desperately taunting the losers to come out. Eddie stood a step behind Richie, watching him carefully. Richie just turned his head to Eddie and nodded.

“You and I both know how to beat it, don’t we Eds” he said to him, and Eddie was so caught in this moment, he didn’t even think to correct the ‘Eds’.

“Yeah, uh… holy fuck, yeah we do” Eddie had the moment of realization. He once again made eye contact with Richie, who looked grim but determined. This was his proof. He had told the Loser’s Club about his run in with the clown. About how he’d nearly choked the life out of it, and had a sneaking suspicion they could do it again.

Richie nodded at him before turning back around to gaze at the giant clown, now towering over the two of them.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t everyone's favorite piece of dog shit” Richie growled at it, and Eddie had to bite back his anxiety to tell Richie not to piss it off. He had to have faith. It worked once…

“Yeah” Eddie said, stepping up beside Richie and putting a hand on his shoulder “You’re just a dirty, disgustin, pathethic fucking clown, and literally nobody in this room is falling for your shit anymore”.

The other Loser’s began to slowly emerge from the cave, looking at them like they were crazy, but Eddie and Richie just looked at each other and began to laugh as Pennywise stared at them in sheer confusion.

After that, the other Loser’s started to join in. And things happened much like they had before. Pennywise said some bullshit about being a ‘Destroyer of Worlds’, the Loser’s called him a bitch and pulled out his heart. They all crushed it together, fleeing the premises before the entire cave collapsed.

The only two main differences this time, were that Eddie was alive and well, and when they sprinted out of ITs lair, Richie and Eddie ran out holding hands.

***********

They all jumped back into the quarry like when they were kids. To be honest, it all seemed like a daze. Killing IT, meeting a giant god turtle, potentially coming back from the dead. None of it felt real.

“You know, I really hate this” Eddie muttered under his breath.

“Aw, c’mon Eds, it really isn’t that bad” Bev yelled, swimming further out into the water.

"You fucking say that Beverly, but don't come crying to me when you're at the doctors office being diagnosed with Bacillary Dysentary or some fucked up shit like that" Eddie muttered to her, but Bev didn't seem to be listening. She was currently busy dunking Ben underwater. She and Ben had been all over each other since leaving that cave. Mike and Bill were playfully splashing each other with water as they paddled out. Then he looked at Rich, who was just sitting there staring off at the distant rocks.

He swam over to Richie and placed himself next to him. Richie didn’t look at him, nor did he say a word. He just exhaled heavily and readjusted his glasses, much like he always did as a nervous tick. Eddie sighed softly, trying to muster as much courage as he could to talk.

Luckily, Richie beat him to it.

“You fucking died Eddie” Richie whispered, sounding more broken than ever before. Eddie felt the tears coming back as he gently placed his hand on Richie’s knee.

“I know…” Eddie whispered, and Richie just ripped the glasses off his head and placed his face into his right hand. Surprisingly enough though, the hand holding the glasses moved over to where Eddie’s hand now rested. Gently resting on top of it.

“Yo-You were fucking gone… I fucking held your body in my f-fucking arms Eds” he was sobbing now, tears moving down his face past the hand that Richie had covering his eyes. Eddie moved quickly and wrapped his arms around Richie, hoping to console him in any way he could. Richie just kept talking.

"I saw you die in the f-fucking deadlights, and then I saw you in front of some g-giant fucking turtle, and suddenly we were back I just... I ju-"

“Shh… We’re ok, I’m ok Rich” Eddie whispered soothingly, tears moving down his own cheeks now. Richie took the gesture just clung to him like the world was ending. The rest of the Loser’s had now noticed, because they had swam over to where Richie was sitting, joining Eddie in holding him in comfort. Bill took his hand, Mike and Ben wrapped them both up from behind, and Beverly sat to his left, the opposite side of Eddie.

It was the most comfort Eddie had ever felt in his whole life.

He could only hope it had the same effect for Richie.

After a few minutes, Richie’s sob’s began to relax, and he cracked a few jokes as he typically would do to ease tension. Richie wiped his eyes desperately, patting Eddies arm with the other hand. The other Loser's disconnected after Richie seemed to calm down, giving him quiet words of comfort before giving Richie and Eddie a moment to themselves.

“It’s uh... it's ok Eddie Spaghetti, I think I’m ok now… you can let go” he whispered, but something in his tone told Eddie that Rich didn’t want him to let go. Eddie stared at him for a moment, not once moving his right arm from Richie’s grip. He instead moved his other hand to touch the side of Richie’s face, just as Richie had done to him in the cave.

That’s when he felt Richie’s breath hitch.

Holy fuck.

“Fuck Richie, I did die, you’re right... and you know what? All I could think in my final moment was how fucking furious I was at myself for not telling you how much I goddamn adore you” Eddie said firmly, making eye contact for the entire speech. Eddie, as a rule of thumb, never threw caution to the wind, but shit… he’s already come back from the dead today, how much luckier can he get?

Apparently the answer was a lot, because Richie’s eyes welled up again as he pushed forward and kissed Eddie softly. He almost felt like they were thirteen again in this moment. Everything about the kiss was timid, and awkward yet just… absolutely perfect. Eddie pushed forward and kissed him back, the hand on Richie’s cheek moving to the back of his head to play with his hair while they kissed.

Eddie couldn’t say how long they sat like that. But the Loser’s could. After nearly five minutes, the quiet teasing began in the background of Eddie’s senses but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He was smiling more broadly than ever before in his life, and when Richie pulled back, the smile gracing Richie’s features was something Eddie never wanted to forget.

“You know, when we came back here, I couldn’t believe I could ever forget you…” Richie whispered, reassuringly stroking his hand across Eddie’s arm “because the second I saw you, it was like every feeling I had for you back when we were kid just came pouring back”.

“It was the same for me, dipshit… fuck me, are you telling me we could have been doing this years ago” Eddie stated, laughing at him and Richie blushed and playfully dunked Eddie underwater.

“Fuck no we couldn’t, I was too much of a pussy, and you were too much of a prude” Richie laughed “in fact, you’re still a fucking prude”.

“At least I’m not a loudmouthed, unfunny comedian, who’s proudest fucking joke is that his boyfriend’s mom is fat” Eddie muttered, and Richie gaped at him, hand resting on his chest.

“Excuse me, hold the fucking phone, uno momento Eduardo… boyfriend??? I figured I’d be the side piece” Richie cackled, and Eddie now took his turn to shove him under water.

“Fuck you dude… Myra and I are getting a divorce. She called the first night I came here. Said that me leaving was too much for her to handle, and to be honest, if she hadn’t taken the initiative, I would have just wound up asking the same thing” Eddie laughed, and Richie looked at Eddie in awe, just baffled by everything Eddie was. Richie moved up from the water to kiss him again and this time, there was no awkward energy. It was the most confident he’d ever felt kissing anyone.

Of course, Richie had to ruin the moment by realizing he’d lost his glasses.


	2. Richie's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events retold from Richie's POV

Richie sprinted back to where Eddie was lying. With Pennywise now freshly murdered, and all seeming to be well, his priorities immediately jumped back to the fact that Eddie had been fucking stabbed, and Richie needed to make sure that Eddie was ok.

Unfortunately though, Eddie was not ok. As soon as he arrived back, Eddie was slouched over, eyes unseeing as his body laid their lifeless, and Richie… Richie straight fucking lost it. It was like his brain couldn't even comprehend it. From the moment Eddie got murdered, he felt himself praying that Eddie would make it. He needed Eddie to make it. Because he promised himself that if Eddie did, he'd make sure to tell Eddie everything. About his sexuality, about the boy who made him realize himself. About the childhood crush from twenty seven years ago, that was somehow rekindled in the timespan of a day.

It was vital that Eddie knew these things, because if he didn't... Richie didn't know how he'd live with himself if Eddie didn't know. 

The universe had other plans though, apparently, because as Richie held Eddie's face in his, desperately trying to talk to him, to tell him that they did it, he never got a response. And it was too painful for him to think that he'd never get a response again. So he just sat their in denial. He refused to believe it, because if he did... he couldn't even imagine it.

The sprint out of the cavern was a complete blur. He remembered Bev whispering “honey, he’s dead” in the most tender voice she could muster. He remembered insisting that Eddie was still alive, literally unable to bring himself to accept Eddie NOT being on this earth. Especially not when Richie just got him back.

He somewhat remembers the other Loser’s dragging him away from Eddie’s body, and he remembered fighting them the entire way out. He couldn’t leave Eddie. THEY couldn’t leave him. It just couldn’t happen. It was too dark. Too lonely. Eddie didn't belong there.

Everything else happened in flashes. Moments of crippling sadness. Crying in dirty water. Finishing a carving of his and Eddie’s first initials. Wanting nothing more than to have died in that cave with Eddie. It all felt like it moved by in seconds, yet it also felt like an eternity.

And then everything was black. 

Richie stared open mouthed at the void around him, wondering when he’d gotten here. He didn’t even have a clear memory of what happened, the last thing he remembered was crying on that fucking bridge. Did he get hit by a fucking bus or something? If so, good riddance.

Not really knowing what was happening, he continued onward, walking in the vast pools of nothing. It was almost impossible to even comprehend. Just the vastness of the pitch black that surrounded him. How dazey everything felt being here. Like he was high, but without the actual fun of being high.

And the minute he blinked, the void filled.

He let out a mild (maybe a little less than mild) shriek as the gloom filled with bright light, and suddenly in front of him, there sat a giant fucking… turtle?

“Uh, the fuck” he muttered tiredly, and he could have fucking sworn the turtle laughed at him. The laugh sounded so disconnected from actual human speech that it was kind of hard to tell. Fuck he hoped he was dead.

“Richie Tozier” Richie just blinked once, then twice, then opened his mouth to speak before promptly reclosing it. The massive fucking Lovecraft turtle somehow knew his fucking name.

“Uh, hi yes, present” he stated softly, finding it difficult to be un-sarcastic, especially since sarcasm seemed to be his natural state. The turtle was looking at him patiently, waiting for Richie to say something I guess.

“So uh, is this Heaven or Hell? Or shit, am I in Purgatory? I really fucking hope not because I hated the last season of Lost” he muttered, shaking his head in disgust. He heard the Turtle do his creepy, distorted laugh once again, and then it began to speak.

“You’re in neither, or maybe you’re in all, it depends on the way you wish to look at it Richie” the Turtle said to him softly “to answer you simply though, you are in what you humans might call ‘infinity’, or I’ve also heard it called the Macroverse… so many silly names for something children like you aren’t meant to comprehend”.

Richie’s eyes widened comically, before he let out a whistle of surprise.

“Ooh, Macroverse… sick, love it, absolutely uhh, so I’m dead then right? Cool, when do I get to see Eddie and Stan” he asked, stepping closer to the Turtle “is their like a door or a stairway or something? As soon as I know I’ll be out of your hair- or sorry, Turtle’s don’t have hair, I’ll be out of your shell?”

The Turtle stared at him oddly, before turning his head to see…

Eddie.

Eddie was standing off in the distance, looking around the pitch black mindlessly. Could he not see the massive fucking lovecraft turtle that was literally right fucking next to him?

“No Richie, you are not dead and neither is your friend, Eddie… at least, not yet” the Turtle said to him, and Richie whipped his head back to face the Turtle “You lived through a vision of a possible future, one that you may still yet be able to stop. I plan to return you and Eddie to that moment as repayment for ridding the universe of… what was he calling himself these days… Pennywise?”

Richie gasped, feeling like he was about to fucking hyperventilate. 

“What the fuck are you” Richie asked softly, feeling his chest get heavy with the overwhelming vibe of this moment “Are you God?”

The Turtle just looked at him kindly, before whispering “I am Maturin” and then suddenly, he was turning around to Eddie, and just like the Turtle had done with Richie, it began speaking to him. Richie watched the two of them with his mouth gaped open. He was so fucking lost as to what was happening. He listened to the two of them speaking, let out a small chuckle at Eddie’s little “I don’t associate with demons”, and then after just a few moments, Eddie turned as he finally fucking saw him.

“HOLY SHIT, EDDIE” he yelled at him, but Eddie just stared at him dumbly. Could he not hear him?

Then, just as quickly as he’d arrived, the world flashed bright, and then, suddenly, they were back. Back in that fucking cave, with Eddie crouched over his form, except this time Eddie wasn’t cheering in victory.

“Fuck” Richie whispered in soft panic, moving quickly to shove Eddie out of the way of the massive fucking leg. They fell forward down the rocks of the cavern, and Pennywise quickly moved on from them to attempt attacking the Loser’s to his right, still desperately trying to lift himself off of the rocks that pierced him.

He was lying on top of Eddie, right over Eddie’s chest, the same chest that was stabbed in the vision he’d received. The vision that felt like a lifetime.

“Rich…” he heard Eddie whisper to him, and Richie just blankly stared at him, his chest heaving from the energy he exerted in shoving them out of harm's way. 

In this moment, he decided he was done with the bullshit. He’d just fucking LOST Eddie. He’d spent so fucking long wanting Eddie from afar, throwing away opportunity after opportunity, and he wanted nothing more than to never experience that again. If Eddie rejected him, he decided it was worth the risk, because nothing could be worse than the feeling of not knowing. The feeling of realizing that you’d never know, and that any chance at knowing was thrown into a fucking erupting volcano and then hit by an asteroid because you were too much of a pussy, and now they’re dead.

Richie was still staring in disbelief as he moved his hand to Eddie’s cheek, just briefly, to see if he was real. To make sure he wasn’t crazy. 

He wasn’t.

The relief that came with that realization was probably better than the high of fucking cocaine. He held his hand their for a moment while Eddie just stared at him in awe. 

“Eds…” Richie whispered, and he knew this moment had to fucking matter, because Eddie didn’t correct him. Eddie just shook his head softly as he stared up at Richie.

And that’s when Richie snapped back to reality, quickly moving his hand and lifting himself off of Eddie’s form.

“Let’s go” Richie stated softly, realizing that the clown had gotten free, and was now attempting to dig himself into the hiding place of the other Loser’s. Eddie followed after him, staying close to Richie the entire time, and Richie let out one last exhale to calm his nerves before they did this thing.

“You and I both know how to beat it, don’t we Eds” Richie asked him softly, and he turned and watched as Eddie just nodded nervously.

“Yeah, uh… holy fuck, yeah we do” Eddie whispered, and Richie smirked at him as he nodded, turning back around to face the massive spider-clown hybrid.

They were going to do this. Eddie and Richie. They’d been given this second chance for a reason, and Richie firmly decided that when this was all over. He’d absolutely never let Eddie go again. 

They both took turns insulting it, eventually the other Loser’s joined in. Who knew that bullying could actually be so helpful?

When it was finally over, and they all crushed the heart together, Richie looked at Eddie and Eddie looked back at him. Nearly a million thoughts running through his head, and he almost heard himself tell Eddie “I love you” right there in that moment. 

Unfortunately though, the cave started collapsing, and they needed to fucking bail ASAP. 

It did, however, shock him to his core when Eddie took the initiative and grabbed Richie’s hand, pulling him into a sprint to escape that World of Warcraft clown dungeon. Eddie kept turning his head briefly to ensure that Richie was still there, like he needed Richie to be there. 

Once they finally escaped, Eddie was kneeled over, panting heavily, and Richie placed a hand on Eddie’s back, trying to help him to soothe his breathing.

“Well, I’m glad it helped to kill the fucking clown, but holy fucking shit I have never missed my inhaler more” he croaked, the words coming out between each broken breath, and Richie just laughed softly, kneeling down next to him and pulling him into a hug. He felt tears coming out of the corners of his eyes, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Eddie was here, alive and well, and Richie would be damned if he took that for granted ever fucking again.


End file.
